Mah jongg is usually regarded as an offensive, rather than a defensive, game. Nonetheless, a player is required to know how to discard tiles safely and wisely. In order to do this, every player must try to recognize the types of hands his or her opponents are likely to be matching by observing closely what tiles they discard.
Speed
A player should try to complete his hand ahead of the other players in the shortest possible time. This is done by choosing, from the tiles in the existing hand, combinations that are most likely to be completed in a short time. Do not attempt to assemble a high-scoring hand when the chance of completing it is remote.
Taking Advantage of Opportunities
Saving and matching the same
suit of tiles that your Upper House is frequently discarding.
When your hand has six or more tiles of the same suit, plus Honor tiles, consider assembling a Mixed One-Suit Hand.
When your hand consists of two or more pairs, consider assembling an All Triplets Hand.
When your hand has nine or more Terminal and Honor tiles, consider assembling a 13-Terminal Tile hand.
Be prepared to change the combination in your hand according to the types of
tiles drawn from the walls or discarded by others.
Keeping Alert
If possible, do not discard tiles of the same suit that your Lower House
is saving and claiming.
When a player has revealed two or more sets of the same suit (with or without Honor tiles), he or she is probably trying to assemble a Pure One-Suit or a Mixed One-Suit Hand.
When a player has revealed two or more Triplets, he or she is probably trying to assemble an All Triplets Hand.
When a player discards Honor tiles late in the game, he or she is probably matching a high-scoring hand.
When a player discards tiles of two suits only, he or she is saving the other suit of the Common tiles.
When a player discards Terminal tiles and Honor tiles at an early stage of the game, he or she is most likely trying to complete a low-scoring hand quickly. Do not waste your time assembling a high-scoring hand.
Safe Discards
When you decide to assemble a Mixed One-Suit or
Pure One Suit Hand, discard the sharp tiles (tiles that are easy to match such
as Nos. 2 to 8) of your unwanted suits as early as possible, before your Lower
House saves enough matched tiles to claim your discards.
When you sense a dangerous situation, such as one player assembling a high-scoring hand, you should immediately try to help other players win a lower-scoring hand by discarding the tiles the other players might need.
Prolonging the game in order to assemble a high-scoring hand when the situation is tense is unwise. Be satisfied with a lower scoring hand. After all, winning, rather than score counting, is the ultimate objective.
When the game is near its end without a winner yet, consider giving up your chance of winning by discarding only the safe tiles.
When appropriate, use Pung or Gong to disrupt other players from claiming a
matched tile or drawing a tile.
Improving Your Winning Chance
When you are waiting for the final matched tile to complete your winning
hand, call for the tiles that other players feel safe to discard.
Exchange your tiles to increase the probability of winning. For
example,
if your hand calls for a No. 4 tile to win, such as the
following hand:
If you draw a No. 6 tile, you should discard the No. 3 tile and keep your drawn tile. Now you have three winning chances instead of one. Your Winning Tile can be No. 4, No. 5, or No. 7
With a No. 4 tile, your winning match would be
With a No. 5 tile, your winning match would be
With a No. 7 tile, your winning match would be
Improving Your Hand for a Higher Score Example 1: From a Chicken Hand to an All Sequences Hand
If you draw a No. 4 or No. 6 Bamboo tile, discard the No. 5 tile, and you have
Now you are calling either No. 3 or No. 6, or either No. 4 or No. 7.
Example 2: From a Chicken Hand to an All Triplets Hand
If you draw or claim a No. 4 Circle tile, discard the No. 1 tile,
rearrange your tiles and you have three Triplets and two pairs.
Winning Probabilities
Ready Hand Winning Tiles (can be any one of the tiles)
Ready Hand Winning Tiles (can be any one of the tiles)
Ready Hand Winning Tiles (can be any one of the tiles)
